Education Grantees 2015

2015 Education Grant Summaries

Northeast
Council of Teachers of Japanese New York, NY
NECTJ Student Haiku Contest
Project Director: Kazuo Tsuda
$3,000
The Northeast Council of Teachers of Japanese will hold its annual student
Haiku Contest in this United Nations Assembly lobby, where the first, second
and third place winners will read their haikus aloud. Furthermore, a haiku
anthology book will be created to commemorate the 10th anniversary
of the contents and will feature poems and images from the past 10 contests and
will be disseminated to participating schools.

Whitfield Manjiro Friendship Society Fairhaven, MA
Whaling, Japanese Culture and the Whitfield – Manjiro Story
Project Director: Gerald Rooney
$1,000
This project will conduct a week-long intensive professional development
workshop for teachers focused on whaling, Japanese culture, and the
Whitfield-Manjiro story. Through hands-on demonstrations and interactions,
participants will learn aspects of Japanese language, food and culture such as
kabuki and kamishibai.

Nesin Cultural Arts Monticello, NY
Legends and Folk Tales of Japan
Project Director: Akiko Hosoi
$3,350
The project will feature a teacher-training workshop and a 2-week arts
institute for students ages 7-18. Teachers will undergo a professional
development workshop with Taiko and Dance specialists, while students will
study Japanese arts and culture with specialists in the first week, and will create their own kamishibai the second week.
Afterwards, students will present their works to the local community.

Washington
County Museum of Fine Arts Hagerstown, MD
Along the Eastern Road: Hiroshige's 53 Stations of the Tokaido
Project Director: Nancie Zinn
$5,000
Washington County Museum of Fine Arts will feature 55 revolutionary wood-block
prints by Utagawa Hiroshige, recording the scenic views along the famous
"Eastern Road" that linked Edo (now Tokyo) with Kyoto. To complement
the visitors' experience of the exhibition, the museum will hold a series of
festivals and events for adults, families and children, including a cherry
blossom festival, Children's Day festival, as well as to celebrate Tanabata.

The Japan Center at Stony Brook Long
Island, NY
Sakura Matsuri – Spend a Day in Japan
Project Director: Gerard Senese
$1,000
This project aims to hold a Sakura Festival in Stony Brook. The festival will
feature various performance such as Taiko, Japanese dance, and cosplay. For
children activities will include origami, learn to draw Manga, & workshops
in Martial Arts, Taiko and Dance. For adults, there will be an opportunity
to partake in the Japanese Tea ceremony, Ikebana and try Kimono Fashions.

Midori and Friends New York, NY
"Journey to Japan" 2015-2016
Project Director: Lauren Noble
$5,000
Midori and Friends will hold a 6 week unit that introduces public school
students grades 3-5 to history, music and
culture of Japan, in structured immersive "fantasy trips" to 3 partner schools
in the Bronx, Brooklyn and Queens. The program culminates in a concert for family and school community members where students
perform the music they have learned during the program, as well as showcase the
creative work they have produced

Japan
Day New York, NY
Learn and Experience Japanese Technology
Project Director: Manatsu Domoto
$1,000
Japan Day @ Central Park returns to the Bandshell area and Rumsey Playfield in
Central Park with a wide range of Japanese family-friendly activities,
delicious food and stage show that are available to visitors for free. This
year will feature current technological innovations from Japan including, PARO
the therapeutic robot seal, the electron miniscope developed by Hitachi, as
well as a Shinkansen driving simulator.

The
Children's Museum of the Upstate Greenville, SC
"Hello from Japan!" Exhibit and Related
Programming
Project Director: Diana Berti
$5,000
This project will hold educator workshops, program series, exhibits and a
summer day camp for its Summer 2015 "Hello from Japan!" exhibition in
Greenville in South Carolina. The project will be geared toward children ages
4-14, and in addition to the exhibition, will include manga workshops, tea
ceremonies, and a 5-day anime film festival.

Japan
America Society of Northwest Florida New York,
NY
New Year's Celebration
Project Director: Shigeko Honda
$1,000
The Japan America Society of Northwest Florida will hold its annual New Year
Celebration, with exhibits and presentations
that include a Taiko performance, Shakuhachi, Japanese calligraphy, origami and
a booth that will provide resources for teachers to share in their classrooms

Wisconsin Academy of Global Education and Training Milwaukee,
WI
Wisconsin- Chiba Taiko Performance
Project Director: Michael J. Dietz
$5,000
This project aims to bring 2 Taiko Drummer groups from the sister city of Chiba
to perform in various cities in Wisconsin for 4 days. They will also hold
workshop for community members and participate in the main "Ho Chunk"
Intercultural event, which will bring Native American, Japanese, Chinese, and
Hmong drumming groups to learn from one another in a community setting.

Cleo
Parker Robinson Dance Denver, CO
Mystical Abyss- Theatre of Yugen
Project Director: Cleo Parker Robinson
$5,000
This project aims to provide the educational programming for the performances
of Theatre of Yugen's "Mystical Abyss", a multidisciplinary performance piece
inspired by Japanese and Iroquois creation myths. Educational outreach will
include holding workshops in several schools, a special performance for students
at the Cleo Parker Dance New Theater, asnd short lectures and demonstration
with artists from the professional Noh theatre in Japan.

University
of Tennessee Chattanooga Chattanooga, TN
Integrating Japan and East Asian Regional
Studies into Tennessee Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate and
Honors Classes
Project Director: Lucien Ellington
$4,499
The University of Tennessee Chattanooga aimes to facilitate the planning of a 2
full day workshop to assist 20 Tennessee high school teachers who teach at the
World History and Geography at the AP,IB or Honors
level. The project aims to target teachers that will have a large student
impact in student learning and their communities.